Supercharged, Turbocharged And Ready To Roll
It is almost impossible to imagine the world without certain things in it. Try to imagine a world when the Rolling Stones aren't embarking on another world tour despite having the combined age of the Methuselah Tree, or a year without a Simon Cowell produced talent show on television. It's impossible isn't it? I guess. This is exactly how I feel about the Volkswagen Golf. I have a long history with the VW Golf, as my Grandfather owner one in my formative years and ferried me and my brother around in it quite a lot. I have very fond memories of this car which have remained with me right into my adulthood. On the surface though, the VW Golf isn't exactly breathtaking, it's boxy, cumbersome and not to mention quite a bit more expensive than most of its competition. So exactly where the does this abiding love affair with the VW Golf stem from and how has it endured for so long?
It was over 35 years ago when the Volkswagen Golf first made its appearance and it has been a consistently popular seller ever since. The Brand New Volkswagen Golf Mark VI comes with a choice of four petrol engines and three diesel engines. My personal pick of the bunch is the twin-charged 1.4Litre Petrol which produces 160Bhp which is phenomenal for a car of this size. Driving this car is unlike the experience of the previous model Golf (the Mark V), as it adds an element that its predecessor was lacking slightly; excitement. Other than the GTi models, the Golf has never been considered an exciting drive. It has been described as safe, comfortable, economic and ecological but never exciting. The supercharged and turbocharged 1.4 litre engine feels raw, edgy and above all, powerful. All of a sudden the VW Golf seems al lot less British after all. Essentially, the Volkswagen Golf Mk VI has retained everything that the consuming public loved about the car since its initial inception, but they have been treated to a few added extras now. The Golf is still safe, comfortable, economical and ecological, but now it has the capability to force your head back into the headrest and leave you with a silly schoolboy grin on your face. Although the Golf has evolved into the consummate city car, if you take the new Golf out onto country lanes, you will see why I can say with confidence that this is the most impressive the Golf has ever been.
Very little was changed from the visual standpoint during 65 years of production and more than 21.5 million units. Then, in 2003, the old VW Beetle was finally put to rest, but not before the Germans produced a modern variation to fill the void. 25,500 for the soft-top counterpart. The popular 鈥淏ug鈥?will slowly be phased out in a few years, and with only around 15,000 units sold in the U.S. Regardless of chosen trim or body style, there鈥檚 only one engine beating under the Bug鈥檚 shell (this time in front, of course). A 2.0L turbocharged inline-four is good enough for 174 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of rotational force. It pairs exclusively with a 6-speed automatic transmission, thus depriving us of the opportunity to order one with a manual. Needless to say, the A5 Beetle isn鈥檛 very fuel-conserving for its class either, and it also fails to impress in a number of different ways. Lack of room aside (after all, the Beetle was designed with that flaw in mind), the 鈥渘ew鈥?Volkswagen Beetle fails to offer high-tech electronic safety systems that are slowly becoming mandatory even in budget cars.
At best, you鈥檒l get a standard rearview camera, optional blind-spot monitors, and parking sensors. The latter two are standard from the mid-range Coast and on the range-topping Dune trim respectively. The second-generation VW Tiguan had only recently arrived to the U.S. 鈥檚 been available overseas since late 2016. It mimics the remainder of the Volkswagen lineup鈥檚 design language which puts it among a conservatively designed bunch according to the majority consensus. Despite riding on a new, modern chassis, The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan still fails to impress in a number of important categories. Being the company鈥檚 smallest crossover, the Tiguan was expected to deliver a competitive fuel economy, but it doesn鈥檛. It also doesn鈥檛 offer any advanced safety gear in its entry-level trim. Available with a short compact and a long mid-size-ready wheelbase, the Tiguan at least offers a choice for buyers with specific needs. The long-wheelbase Tiguan is much larger than its predecessor but it鈥檚 also not as fun to drive. On the other hand, it offers an optional third row of seats, albeit you鈥檒l only be able to fit children back there.
